Those citizens will have the chance to help the grass-roots organization even more at its inaugural fundraising barbecue Sept. 13.

“We’ve accumulated a bunch of cool stuff for raffles and silent auctions,” Walker said, “and the food will be great.”

Tickets to the Salute Our Troops All American BBQ are on sale for $25 until Tuesday. The barbecue takes place from noon to 3 p.m. at Ma Griffe Galerie, 3624 Gaffey St.

“The effort is growing so fast, with so much help from the community,” Walker said. “It’s almost a part-time job.”

Helpers pack boxes, schools contribute items like socks, snacks and baby wipes, and, about six times a year, Walker heads to stores like Sam’s Club and Albertsons on Western Avenue to hand out fliers asking for donations.

At least one excursion to Sam’s Club immediately yielded dozens of shopping carts full of items.

Walker is especially touched by the hundreds of letters and emails he has received throughout the years from troops who sometimes don’t get mail or packages from home.

He points to a photo and tears up as he tells the story of a former San Pedro resident who became a gunnery sergeant and lost both legs in Afghanistan.

The gunnery sergeant’s mother called Walker to tell him that as her son lay in a German hospital near death, he summoned her to his bedside.

“She told me he said, ‘Mom, get a hold of Mike and tell him to keep sending boxes to my men,’ ” Walker said. “Here he was, laying in bed with no legs, not knowing if he was going to live or die, and he’s thinking about his men. There’s the real hero.”

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In the end, the gunnery sergeant surprised Walker with a visit to thank the outgoing mechanic for Packages for Patriots’ generosity before heading back to Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda for more surgeries and rehabilitation.

But Walker and Vojkovich won’t take credit for being homespun heroes. They point to a generous community that hears of the smallest need, and then supplies even more than imagined.